Erwin, Tennessee
Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee. The population of the town is 6,097. Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the town is: 93.85% White (5,722) 5.76% Other (351) 0.39% Black or African American (24) 25.1% (1,530) of Erwin residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Erwin has low rates of Pokemon theft and murder, factoring in the Team Galactic activity that tends to go unreported. The town reported 3 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 0.79 murders a year. Pokemon See the Unicoi County page for more info. Fun facts * Erwin earned some notoriety in 1916 when the only known public execution of an elephant in Tennessee occurred in the community. Mary, the elephant, had killed her handler, Walter Eldridge, in nearby Kingsport. Mary's owner, Charlie Sparks, decided to execute Mary by hanging. As home to the region's largest railway yard, Erwin was the only community with the means to carry out the death sentence. Surrounding communities decided that Erwin was the best place to carry out the execution and Erwin obliged, even though the town itself was against it. An estimated 2,500 people turned out at the local railway yard to see Mary hoisted by a crane to meet her demise. The town has recently implemented a yearly festival to help raise funds that go exclusively to the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald. * The town of Erwin received its name by a mail mishap. On December 5, 1879, the name of the town was Ervin, in honor of D.J.N. Ervin, who had donated 15 acres (61,000 m2) of land for the county seat. A typo made by post office officials caused the name to be recorded as Erwin. The mistake was never corrected. * Between 1916 and 1957, the Southern Potteries plant operated in Erwin along Ohio Avenue. The plant produced a hand-painted dishware known as Blue Ridge that became popular nationwide in late 1930s and 1940s. Blue Ridge pieces are still popular items with collectors of antique dishware. * The Appalachian Trail passes east of Erwin. The trail crosses the Nolichucky near the western end of the Nolichucky Gorge, at a place known as Unaka Springs. Nearby is "Moaning Rock", a large boulder near the trail that is supposed to be the site of a long ago murder of a stranger. According to local lore, the murdered man's spirit is still around, and if anyone stands on or even touches the rock, "...it moans as if under a heavy burden." * Nuclear Fuel Services has a major facility in Erwin. It began operation in 1957 as the Davison Chemical Division of the W.R. Grace Company. Production activities at the Erwin facility include preparing enriched uranium to be processed into nuclear reactor fuel, processing uranium hexafluoride into other uranium compounds, and downblending high-enriched uranium to convert it to a low-enriched form for use in commercial nuclear reactors. Historically the facility also worked with thorium compounds. * Erwin was host to a CSX rail yard, diesel shop, and car repair facility, which closed in 2015. * Erwin has a bit of amenities to offer. It has a Nintendo World, dollar stores, Tractor Supply Co., a few hotels/motels, a bit of fast food, a bit of local restaurants and businesses, Walgreens, Price Less Foods, the county hospital, a family YMCA, a landing strip, a sports complex, a bit of public battle fields, a showcase theater, Advance Auto Parts, and a few other things. Category:Tennessee Towns Category:Tennessee Cities